Sunday, June 26, 2011

Dear 16 year old me,

December 18, 1996

Miss Dwija M. Cieslak
578 East Statton Lane
Dallas, TX 75221

Dear Dwija,

It is my pleasure to inform you of your acceptance to the University of Dallas.

Dear 16 year old me,

This letter will transform your life in ways that you cannot even begin to imagine.

Congratulations and welcome to our community of scholars!

You are excited.  Maybe even overjoyed.  But you have no idea what's in store!

After careful review, the Admission Committee has approved your application for admission for the fall semester...

The people you'll meet, the experiences you'll have will not change you.  They will reveal you.  Reveal the real you who you've yet to meet...

We believe the academic records and personal characteristics presented in your application reflect qualities which will enable you to become a successful part of the University of Dallas class of 2001.

You are too young.  You are not ready.  But that's okay.  The Lord has softened harder hearts.  He has worked bigger miracles than the one He is about to work in you.

You will be joining a vibrant academic community...

So brace yourself...

We look forward to having you as a member of the class of 2001!

Your most incredible journey starts now!

Sincerely,

R. Fred Zuker
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

With all my love,

30 year old you



This is a response to a writing prompt at  
The Lightning and the Lightning Bug asking us to write a letter to ourselves at age sixteen.


post signature

30 comments :

  1. It's great to look back right? :)

    Just realized from here that you're so much younger than me! :)

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  2. That was so nice...and then I realized the same thing Alison did. You seem very accomplished for a mere 30.

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  3. Wow, you were a baby when you started college! That must have been an amazing (and crazy scary) experience!!

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  4. You might have been a baby at the start of that academic journey but...wow...look at you now!

    30! Dweej...I have shoes that old, really! But, that's a story for another day...

    Hugs!

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  5. Do you think that you ever saw yourself where you are now at 16?

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  6. No way! There was not a chance ever in the history of chances that I could have imagined all of this. And I wouldn't have believed someone if they'd told me :)

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  7. Awesome!!! You are amazing!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  8. How fun that you saved that letter. I hope this blog stays around forever, in some format or another. I imagine your girls reading these things 30 years from now, laughing and rolling their eyes (with love) about their Mom.

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  9. I'm so proud of 16 year old and 30 year old Dweeja!

    "The people you'll meet, the experiences you'll have will not change you. They will reveal you. Reveal the real you who you've yet to meet..." Amazing. I love this insight.

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  10. How great you can look back, Dweeja. Frankly, I find it too painful.

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  11. What an awesome way to share your letter!!! I love how you have no regrets to share with yourself...just joy and happiness and GREAT THINGS to come.

    "Reveal the real you who you've yet to meet..." YES! I wanted to fist pump right here, ha! I didn't meet the real me until college either. :) So glad she revealed herself...finally. For both of us.

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  12. I'm glad I stopped by because I loved this letter! Perfect.

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  13. I love how you wrote this letter!! Perfect and joyous and...perfect :)

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  14. I love this: "The people you'll meet, the experiences you'll have will not change you. They will reveal you. Reveal the real you who you've yet to meet..." Great letter.

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  15. Wow!"Baby" is right! My oldest is 16 and I am freaking out over next year being his Jr. year of high school.

    And, (interesting tidbit and co-inky-dink!), I was a member of UD's class of '95 for a whole WEEK. Then, I returned home and went to another college. But, that my dear, is a looooooong story for another day!

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  16. Dwija, I'm awarding you the Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award for 2011. Please stop by and pick it up.

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  17. 16 year old you was starting college? Wow! 16 year old me was a pot smoking moron!

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  18. Awww, this letter makes me reflect. It's one of those "if you only knew" scenarios... But, ultimately, we did what we did for a reason. Great post!

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  19. Nice post! This same type of post is on my list of blog posts in the future, but I haven't decided what I'd want to say to myself all those years ago. I'm sure it will be a mouthful though! Funny how every little decision in our life sets the course that ultimately ends up in blessings galore, even if we had to endure much struggle and hardship to get to where we are now.

    Blessings to you... hope you're having a great weekend!

    Rosann
    http://www.christiansupermom.com/

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  20. Wow, you leave me wanting to know more about this amazing 16 yr old you wrote to. I want to know what happened...so, you have yourself a new follower!

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  21. I love the sweetness and optimism here! So many people would try to stop their 16 year old self from making the bad choices, but your letter was about encouragement. It speaks volumes about you as a person. I love it!

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  22. Oh my my. I love the bit about revealing you. It's so true isn't it? Very few things in life have changed me, but time has certainly revealed the real me.

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  23. I am now realizing that you were at UD at the same time as a good priest--friend of mine. I wonder if you know him. But I also have no idea how big UD is. But it seems I've fallen into following a lot of you UD graduates, LOL.

    Cool post.

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  24. Good gravy! In 1996 I was 41! Great post, Dwija!

    I would tell my 16 year old self to be more brave, to try harder, to study more, to stand up for myself.

    But my 56 year old self is a pretty happy old girl!

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  25. What a great way to address this prompt!
    These lines said so much about your college experience. "The people you'll meet, the experiences you'll have will not change you. They will reveal you. Reveal the real you who you've yet to meet"
    Love this!

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  26. I loved this letter! :D Oh my goodness. College at 16 would be insane!!! I wasn't ready for it when I was 18. lol LOVE the blog, i
    m following so I don't miss a post! Thanx for stoppong by on my blog as well, and hope to see you again real soon!

    Blessings, Kisses & Coladas!

    Jenny @ Jems From Jenny

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  27. You were 16 headed to college! That's awesome! Congrats on all your achievements! Maybe that's why at 30 you've reached all your dreams! You got started early. :) Very cool.

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  28. So innovative of you to use your acceptance letter as an artistic medium! You must have some rare, coveted, handwritten notebook of fantastically wonderful writing ideas stashed away somewhere! ;D Hey! Writing idea? You would be aMAZing at writing something like that Dweej! It could be called "Dwija's Rare, Coveted, Handwritten Notebook of Fantastically Wonderful Writing Ideas." Don't forget me when you strike oil with this one girl! I gave you that unbelievably perfect title! ;D

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